Unfortunately, many people are not given second chances for crimes they committed at a young age. In some cases the price they must pay means they will be confined to a prison cell for decades, if not their whole lifetime. For one man, his debt to society was 37 long, hard years inside the California prison system.
His release date came towards the end of 2016. Since then he’s spoken to the youth at high schools in his native San Diego, CA and participated in various community events. All with the sole purpose of giving back.
Since regaining his freedom, Samuel Bradley’s focus has been on getting his life back on track. On top of that, he’s also sought to add to a number of positive efforts within his community.
In the video above, Bradley reports that he is taking part in an event where members of the community help pass out food to the homeless. The location of the food drive was on Imperial Avenue, which runs through much of San Diego’s urban landscape.
Aside from helping distribute food to the homeless, Bradley has also spoken to students at local high schools in the San Diego area. In the two clips above, Bradley is seen speaking to kids at Lincoln High School, which sits in the same neighborhood that he grew up in, Lincoln Park.
He shares his story with the students, using the common bond many of them share as an attempt to connect with them: the community. “Out of everybody in here, if I can just get one, I’m good with that,” he says, “if I can get two, it’s a blessing; if I can’t get three…hey man, it’s a joy. Somebody in here is going to grab what I’m saying, ’cause I lived it.”
Bradley has a lot of time to make up for. If you want to keep up with him on his journey, be sure to follow him on Instagram.
